This invention relates to a belt for encircling the waist of a person and more particularly to such a belt adapted for use with a readily removable imitation buckle carrying an appendage suitable for any desired use, such as a knife.
Belts with removable buckles having appendages which may be used as a knife, a key, a whistle, a screw driver, scissors or any other desired item are shown in several prior patents. In most instances the appendage on the buckle is a knife which is normally concealed within the belt but may be withdrawn when needed by persons feeling the need for self-defense such as police officers, military personnel and others wanting the assurance of self-defense that such a weapon provides.
One such device is shown in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,421 issued July 16, 1974. One form of the invention illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,421 is a belt buckle in the form of an open loop having a knife formed integral with and extending from one side of the loop of the belt. Straps extend from the ends of the belt through the loop and are fastened to the belt as by snap fasteners to hold the belt in place. The buckle and its attached knife may be removed from the belt by releasing the snap fasteners and withdrawing the knife from its pocket. Said U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,421 also discloses a removable belt buckle having a stud adapted to register with selected holes in the ends of the belt for holding the belt in place about the wearer's body. The buckle and its knife may be removed by lifting one end of the belt from the stud and passing it through the buckle, after which the buckle and its knife may be removed from the pocket on the inner surface of the outer end of the belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,422 issued July 16, 1974 to Valmore J. Forgett, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,250 issued May 27, 1975 to Barry Schiller and U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,547 issued Sept. 9, 1975 to Barry Schiller all disclose removable belt buckles having knives or other appendages rigidly attached to the buckle and recieved within pockets within belts and the use of studs for retraining the buckle on the belt and the belt about a person's waist.
In each instance, one end of the belt must be drawn through the belt buckle before the belt buckle and its rigidly attached knife can be removed from the pocket in the other end of the belt. And an additional step is required to separate the retaining stud from the hole in the belt or buckle preparatory to withdrawing the appendage from its pocket. The consequent time delay in removing the knife from its pocket after the need arises is considered objectionable by those persons having an urgent need for self-defense.